Retail industry

When the people take on an oil giant

Article Abstract:

Multinational companies are coming under increasing pressure to meet extremely high environmental and ethical standards. This is very difficult in the oil industry, where involvement with dubious regimes is often necessary and where short-term action to make a political point is not possible. This dilemma is reflected in the recent controversy surrounding Shell, which has been criticised for its involvement in Nigeria, where nine minority rights activists have recently been executed. Shell's reactions to this pressure over the next few months will indicate whether consumer opinion can really force a company to reverse its plans.

The disease that makes everyone an expert

Article Abstract:

There appears to be extensive public interest in the UK in chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), a disease which attracts very mixed views. Even medical experts disagree about the causes of CFS, with some believing that it is a type of mental illness or depression and others believing that it is a virus. CFS has attracted particular attention from psychiatrists, who seem to want to use it to justify their existence. Suffers from CFS are often misunderstood and made to feel a failure because they have a disease with no clear cause or symptoms and cannot cope with everyday life.

Who will foot the bill for education and training?

Article Abstract:

Policy-makers of all political views in the UK agree that steps must be taken to boost standards of basic literacy and numeracy. However, they cannot agree on how such efforts should be funded. The Labour party has abandoned plans to impose a training levy on companies which do not provide sufficient in-house training, and is now looking at tax relief for individuals and companies who make an input into individual learning accounts. Attention is focusing on the best way to develop education for those aged over 16.